Distilling apparatus.



L. S. FLATAU; DISTILLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 1. 1915.

- Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- m 17 5 50 18 M a 5 W m 5.- az f I; $2

011 as) m 1.. S. FLATAU.

DISTILLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 1. m5

Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 lam - l Application filed October 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LOUIS S. FLATAU, a citizen of the United States of America, a resident ot' the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri.,'have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Distilling. Apparatus, o which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, to the accompanyingfflll arwings, forming part of this specificatitih.

Iy invention relates to a distilling apparatus, particularly adapted for use in the distillation of crude oil, one of the objects being to roduce an extremely simple and highly e cient means for heating the sub stance to be distilled. With this object in view the invention preferably comprises a receptacle for the crude oil, a boiler including a water,jacket'surrounding said receptacle, a heating chamber arranged below said receptacle and water jacket, and a series of flues extending through the water jacket. the flues being adapted to conduct the hot gases from the heating chamber so as to heat the "water around the oil receptacle. An apparatus so constructed is a very com pact single "structure constituting a retort and a heating plant combined with each other in such a manner that the heat is transmitted most effectively from the heating chamber to the substance to be distilled The preferred form otlthe invention also includes means for conducting steam from the upper portion of the water jacket to the lower portion of the oil receptacle, thus heating and agitating the crude oil. Owing to the peculiar manner in which the heating plant is associated with theoil receptacle,

the water jacket serves as a boiler for producing the steam which passes into the oil receptacle, at the same time jt'orming part of the means for heating the exterior of said receptacle.

With the foregoing and other objects in View the invention comprises-the novel construction, combination and arrangement; of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying.drawings wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention;however. it is to be understood that the invention com'prchcnds changes, variations and.nunlilications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appcnded. Y

Figure I is a vertical section of an oil aratrns raarnnar r rrcl LOUIS S. FLATAU', 0F ST. LOUIS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

reference being bad rssomu,

Patented July 1'3, 191?... Serial No. 53,514.

still constructed in accordance with ml) invention.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section. Fig. III is an enlarged section of for indicating the oil level.

the g ilge i F 1g. l\ is a Side elevat on ot the parts shown in Fig. III.

To illustrate the preferred form of the invention, I have shown an oil still comprising an 011 receptacle A, a. boiler m the form of a water acket B surroundlng said 011 receptacle, and a heat ngchamber C below said water jacket and oil receptacle. The heating chamber is provided with, a grate 1 adapted for use in burning coal or similar Fuel, and a deflector :2 adapted fior use in connection with an oil burner.

The oil receptacle is preferably a cylinder having a top wall 3 and a bottom wall 4, the latter forming partv of the top wall of the heating chamber.

The boiler or water jacket is an annular structure having an outer wall 5 associated with the side wall 6 of the to form an annular space around said oil rcccptiicle. The water jacket also includes an annular top wall 8 and an annular bot tom wall 9, both of which are arranged be tween and secured to the walls 5 and (i. Flues 10 passing through the water jacketare-secured at their ends to the walls 8 and 9. These lines are arranged around the oil receptiu-le. A. as shown in Fig. II. and they serve as means for conducting hot gases from the heating chamber O, through the water jacket, and then to a located above the oil receptacle and the water jacket and secured to the outer wall 5 of the water jacket. The oil receptacle is preferably provided with a dome 13 which extends into the hood 12, the upper end of said dome being closed by a cover platcld.

The annular wall (5 is provided with circular rows of radiating tubes 15 which extcnd into the oil in the oil receptacle A, each of said tubes being in communication with the boiler or water jacket B. 'The inncr ends ot' tubes 1:) are. closed by caps 16 to prevent the fluid from escaping through the tubes and into the oil receptacle. When the apparatus is in service, the tubes below the water level are filled with hot water, and the steam above the water level is free t flow into the upper rows f tubes. The

oil receptacle.

smoke hood l'2 tit" its

' different radiating tubes 15 are thus heated by direct contact with the steam and hot water, and also by the heat transmitted from the annular-wall 6 to which all of the tubes are secured.

17 and 18 designate supply pipes for conducting crude oil to the receptacle A, and 19 and 2.0, respectively, designatevalves for controlling the flow of oil through said sup-.

ply pipes. Discharge pipes 21 and 22, leading from the bottom wall of the oil receptacle, are provided with valves 23 and 24. These valves are normally closed'to prevent the escape of liquid from the bottom of the oil receptacle. An outlet pipe 25, secured to the upper end of the dome 13, is provided with branches 26 and 27 for conducting vapor from the oil receptacle for a purpose well" understood in this art. Valves 28 and 29 may be opened and closed to regulate the flowef vapor through the pipes 26 and 27, respectively.

The means for conducting steam from the upper portion of the boiler or water jacket B, preferably comprises a series of pipes 30 each of which extends from the upper portion of the annular wall 5 to a valve 31 near the lower end of said wall. Steam conducting pipes 32, extending across the angular boiler or water jacket B, are connected at their ends to the annular walls 5 and 6. 33

designates short pipe sections leading from valves 31 to the pipes 32, and 34 designates discharge pipes extending from the pipes 32, nto the lower portion of the oil receptacle,

- and terminating in down-turned discharge ber is transmitted directly to the bottom wall of the oil receptacle, and the hot gases passing through the lines 10 serve as a most effective heating medium for the water in L'the boiler which surrounds the oil receptacle. (The hot. water and steam transmit heat to the annular wall 6' and also to the radiating tubes 15 which extend into the oil.

The many radiating tubes 15 are surrounded the, oil, so that the heating surface with' which the 011 is in direct contact, is very materially increased by applyi g said radiating tubes to the circular wall. 5.

I also deem it a marked advantage to com-, bmethe boiler and heating chamber with the oil receptacle in the manner shown, for the -.reason that the boiler and oil receptacle derive their heat from a single heating chamberyand the heat of the boiler is transmitted directly to the wall of the oil receptacle without the loss of energy which has heretofore been incurred in the transmitting of heat from one apparatus to another. Moreover, the combined heating chamber, bciler and oil receptacle A, is a single apparatus, occupying a comparatively small space, and possessing a high degree of efiiciency which cannot be obtained by the use of a number of separate and distinct structures located at points remote from each other.

In addition to constituting a most effective means for transmitting heat to the surface of the oil receptacle, the boiler or water jacket B serves as means for generating steam which flows through the pipes 30 to the valves 31. thereafter passing to the lower portion of the oil receptacle. The steam introduced in this manner, agitates the oil to create a circulation of oil along the heating surfaces of the oil receptacle, at the same time liberating gas from the oil, and as the steam flows outwardly through the pipes 25, 26 and 27 it carries small gas bubbles which would not otherwise pass freely from the oil.

Upon the completion of the distilling operations, the valves 23 and 24 may be opened and steam may be introduced into the oil receptacle to force the asphaltum, paraffin, or other substances, from the bottom of the oil receptacle and through the pipes 21 and 22.

The'gage for indicating the level of the oil comprises a float 40 secured to a rocker arm 41, the latter being secured to a rock shaft 42 having a pointer 43 at its outer end, as shown in Figs. III' and IV. The rock shaft 41 passes through a tube 44 having its ends secured to the walls 5 and 6, and also through a tube"45 extending inwardly from the inner end of said tube 44. The bearings for the rock shaft 42 consist of a plug 46 secured to the inner end of tube 45, and a plug 47 screwed into the outer end of tube44. A spring seat 48, arranged in the tube 44 as shown in Fig. 111, is provided with openings 49. To prevent the escape of fluid through the tubes 44 and 45, a valve 50 formed on the'rock shaft 42, is fitted toa valve seat on the innerend of the plug 47 and forced into engagement with said seat by a spring 51. The fluid tending to escape through the tube 44 would also tend to force the valve 50 into engagement with its seat. A stuffing box 52, at the outer end of plug 47, also serves as means for prevehtii g the escape of fluid through the pipe 44. lElhe pointer 43 moves along a dial'54 in response to movements of the float 40, thus'indicating the level of the oil in the oil receptacle. 7

I claim: A distilling apparatus comprising a cylindome, an annular boiler shell surrounding and secured to said cylindrical oil receptacle to form an annular steam boiler which surrounds the contents of said oil receptacle, a heating chamber below all of said parts, a hood arranged over said annular boiler and 5 inclosing said vapor dome, and an annular row of fiues extending through said annular boiler and communicating with said hood and heatink chamber, said flues being located between said annular boiler shell and the cylindrical oil receptacle to provide means for conducting hot products of combustion from said heating chamber through the annular boiler and into said hood.

, LOUIS s. FLATAU. 

